What a pleasant surprise. I expected the gun to be like the 458 and 416 Tropicals I have seen but it seems much closer to the new 9.3x74. It is very trim with a Henry forend and a 24" barrel. The barrel seems closer to 23.5 to me. The barrel contour is not excessive and to me Ruger really put together a nice rifle. It comes with rings by the way. Front sight is bad but thats nothing new for Rugers. I think I'm going to try it with a NECG front and rear peep. Place your orders!! You're gonna likje it!!!

I pick mine up this Saturday. I can't wait.

Next week for mine ...... boy, I LOVE #1's - especially the big-bore ones.

My order has been in for months with the same folks who just shipped me my .405 Win. We'll see how this works out...

LJS: What is the actual weight?

Kurt

Moleman:
I don't have a postage scale that goes above 5 pounds so I used the old bathroom scale. It showed about 7.5 pounds. I'm sure it is less than 8 pounds but don't have the ability to get any closer than an educated guess.

Thanks LJS, that's close enough for me.

Kurt

pictures?

I am doing mine on a sporter contour 22" stainless. I havent seen the production model. If I can make a new stainless banded front and solid Q-rib ill go lighter. The 450/400 is great light weight 200 yard woods rifle.

I received the 450/.400 today; haven't shot it, but it's REALLY proportioned perfectly. Between the 9.3 and 450/.400, it's hard to determine which caliber is the perfect reason for the existence of the Ruger #1 !!!

Frank,

Please keep us updated on how it shoots. Are you scoping it? If so with what?

Kurt

I'm putting a Leupold VX-II 1X4 on the rifle; I'll post some shooting results in a week or two (first chance I get to shoot it). I'll make a prediction - it'll kick like hell .....

I would realy like to get one of these. What are they going for and where is a good place to buy one for a good price? Whats the wood on them like? I have a 257 Roberts I bought in 1980 with awesome wood and it will shoot close to 1/2 inch groups. I'd love to have a 450/400.

I handled a 450/400 Ruger No1 a few days ago. I too thought it was just about perfect.
The slimmer than the other Tropicals bbl gives the rifle a great feel.

The 450/400 is a great calibre.

I just snagged one on Gun Broker last night. I hope Ruger slows down a little with the exotic calibers. 4 new #1s in a year is crazy. A question for those of you who have fondled one of the 450/400s: Do they stamp the barrel 450/400 3" or 450/400 NE, etc?

405
35 Whelen
9.3x74R
450/400

Mine is stamped:

450/400 N.E. 3"

Thanks...

What kind of prices are the 450/400 selling for? I found one for $1,000 with nice wood but would like to check on prices first.

I paid $795 for mine. My dealer's distributor received 10 and sold them all in 2 hours.

Donato, I found mine on Gun Broker for $819. I believe Ray has another on there for $819. Lou

I got mine from Ray Tanner as well. He is a great guy to deal with and has a nice shop. I drove about 70 miles to pick mine up so I could see the shop and meet the owners. I paid $779 for mine and it has nice wood. He had 4 in two weeks ago and sold them all in a few hours. He has a few now but when they are gone there is no telling if he will get more. I e-mailed Hornady on when ammo and components would be available. She told me that ammo is being produced now and will be out very soon. The reloading components...not until they get some factory ammo on the shelves. I could get components elsewhere...but at a much higher cost.

Woody

Are the 9.3x74R and 450/400 limited runs, or are they going to be a cataloged item for years to come? Was the 404 Jeffery a limited run? Lou

Picked up my 450/400 today and have now completed my NO1's. A 9.3x74r,a 405Win and a 450/400. I think Ruger could have found a plainer piece of wood if they had looked a little harder but I'm still quite happy with it. Now if Hornady would only get some brass and loaded ammo I'd be happy. Who produces reasonable dies for 450/400? I can only afford to shoot it if I reload. I have RCBS in the others but 450/400's are expensive special order in RCBS I think.

Has anyone that has bought one of these actually shot it yet? What was the recoil and accuracy like? What was your wood like ?

The wood on mine is pretty nice; I'm so lazy & it's so hot, I haven't shot it yet, but I've already loaded the ammo & waiting for a cooler day. But like I said, I'll be dead a week before my wife realizes it because I'm so lazy.

One more thing - I think the 9.3 & 450/.400 will probably be limited runs; we here on AR are all familiar with these two calibers, but the average hunter (at least here in West Virginia) has no idea about these calibers, and wouldn't buy either. But, the average hunter in West Va. is married to his sister or cousin.

As my previous post states...the loaded ammo is already being produced by Hornady but the reloading components won't come out until some factory ammo hits the shelves. They are also going to make the die sets...much lower cost than RCBS too.

Frank:

Whatyasay to trading your C&H .375 2.5" for a Ruger in .450/.400 3"?

And, there must be not much divorce in West Virginia if most folks are still married to their sister or cousin. Down here, while most of us are kin to ourselves, sadly, families are breaking up. I reckon it's because the price of house trailers is down and lawyers are giving discounts for the family plan since the Supreme Court just ruled that you don't have to pay child support for yourself if you divorce your wife (and she's your mother, too.)

Lot's of husband-in-laws up here in West Va. also .......

My 450/400 just arrived. The wood is ok - maybe two steps above fence post. The barrel definitely has the tropical contour the same as my 405, 375, etc. Now to find out how many they plan to release. Lou

The 450/400 Hornady ammo is now available from Ray Tanner on Gunbroker.com and he has 30 boxes of each of the 400gr solids and 400gr softpoint. 69.99/bx. so there you go for the ones that do not load your own. His shop is in Jamison, Pa just NE of Philadelphia. The Hornady brass is still spotty though...I have 40 pcs coming at 29.99/20. Now for the Hornady dies...I am not paying $250 to get them from RCBS so I will wait.

I shot my #1 450/.400 today, and it's VERY accurate. Fellow AR member Tom Kessel & I both shot 3/4" groups with the rifle at 100 yards; a great shooting rifle, but it DOES let you know when it goes off - fairly bad recoil.

Frank, factory Hornady loads or your own? Softs or solids?

Woody

I loaded these rounds myself; I'd loaded them as the regulation load for my Searcy Classic (per Butch Searcy), so I tried them in the Ruger. I have some Hornady factory ammo ordered, but haven't received it yet.

Oh, we used both softs & solids, and they shot to the same point of aim in this Ruger.

I brought mine home yesterday. Like many other rifles I have bought over the years it lost its appeal somwhere along the ride home. I think I got it just because of the unique chambering. I don't want to sell it but I am interested in trading for a Sako AV in mint condition to use as a project gun. If I find one in a mag caliber I will build a 358 Norma mag; if I get one in an 06 based case I will make it a 6.5-06.

eljefe@volcano.net